The present invention relates to the field of hunting tools and, more particularly, to the field of hunting harpoons and associated methods.
Harpoons have been used to hunt various fish and game, such as alligators, for example. When hunting game, such as an alligator, a harpoon tip on an end of a shaft is typically used to penetrate the hide of the alligator and attach a harpoon line thereto. A conventional harpoon includes a wooden handle, a shaft connected thereto, and a detachable harpoon tip that may be held in place with rubber bands. These types of harpoons, however, are heavy, may be quite cumbersome, and may be difficult to use. Wooden handles are also easily broken when hunting wild, and sometimes aggressive, animals, such as alligators. Another problem with these harpoons is that it may be difficult to release the harpoon tip into the animal.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,796,691 to Norris discloses a harpoon including a harpoon tip that is releasably retained on a shaft by a magnet. Upon impact with a target, a collar adjacent the shaft releases the harpoon tip from the magnet so that the harpoon tip is released from the shaft and remains within the target. This harpoon, however, may not be reliable in retaining and/or releasing the harpoon tip.
A fish tag harpoon for tagging fish with a sonic tracking tag is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,761 to Chaprales. This harpoon includes a shaft that is held in a sleeve, a dart on the end of the shaft, and a line connecting the sonic tracking tag to the dart. The line is held to the dart using a rubber band. Rubber bands to connect the line to the dart may, however, be unreliable. Further, the dart merely rests within the sleeve and is retained therein by a rearward pressure caused by the line which is connected to the dart by rubber bands. Again, the use of rubber bands to retain the dart in the sleeve may be unreliable.
In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a harpoon and associated methods that are reliable, easy to assemble and use, light in weight, and reusable.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention are provided by a harpoon having a harpoon tip that is releasable into a target. More specifically, the harpoon may comprise a handle to be grasped by a user, and a shaft having a proximal end connected to the handle and a distal end having a pin receiving passageway formed therein. The pin receiving passageway may include a releasing portion and a retaining portion in communication therewith, and may have a hook shape, for example.
The harpoon may also include a harpoon tip having an open proximal end for being received over the distal end of the shaft, and a pin carried by the open proximal end of the harpoon tip. The pin may cooperate with the pin receiving passageway to retain the harpoon tip on the shaft when the pin is in the retaining portion of the pin receiving passageway. The pin may also cooperate with the pin receiving passageway to release the harpoon tip from the shaft when the pin is in the releasing portion of the pin receiving passageway. Accordingly, the harpoon tip may advantageously be readily retained and released from the shaft.
The harpoon may further comprise a spring mounting the pin in the open proximal end of the harpoon tip. The spring may be a coil spring having an axis aligned with an axis of the open proximal end of the harpoon tip. The pin may extend transversely through a medial portion of the coil spring. Accordingly, the spring advantageously allows the pin to be moved within the harpoon tip to cooperate with the pin receiving passageway. The spring also advantageously provides sufficient force to retain the harpoon tip on the shaft by keeping the pin in communication with the retaining portion of the pin receiving passageway.
The harpoon may also comprise a connector for connecting the handle to the shaft. In some embodiments, the connector may be a threaded connector, and the proximal end of the shaft may be threaded to receive the threaded connector.
The harpoon tip may comprise a distal sharpened end and a proximal sharpened barb extending rearwardly therefrom. The harpoon tip may also have an opening therein, and the harpoon may include a harpoon line having a first end connected to the opening. A buoy may be connected to a second end of the harpoon line.
The handle may comprise an aluminum tube and foam material therein, for example. The shaft and harpoon tip may each comprise stainless steel, for example.
A method aspect of the present invention is for using a harpoon. The method may include positioning an open proximal end of a harpoon tip over a distal end of the shaft. The method may also include retaining the harpoon tip on the shaft using a pin in a retaining portion of a pin receiving passageway, and releasing the harpoon tip from the shaft when the pin is in a releasing portion of the pin receiving passageway.